New data, from Arla Foods, highlighted growing pressures in the food and farming sector due to shortages of available labour.
The survey found that on average farmers are paying staff 27 per cent more than they were at the end of 2019, before the pandemic and the end of free movement of people from the EU. Bas Padberg, managing director at Arla Foods, said: “Our farmers have told us for some time that they are facing real challenges with the state of the labour market. This new data bears out their concerns and the potential impact on food prices and food security.
Across the wider supply chain, the biggest challenges are attracting qualified people with the correct skillsets for the modern manufacturing environment, as well as attracting more women and younger people into the industry as a career choice. The advancement of technology finding workers with expertise and experience of automation expertise is also a growing issue.